Concrete-distributing system



29 Dec 1925 c. H. TOMPKINS v CONCRETE DSTRIBUTING SYSTEM Filed July 29, 1925 Dec. 29, 1925- C. H, TOMPKINS CONCRETE DISTRIBUTING YSTEM Filed July 29, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i Y ,25 /s /9 @za ,2g ZZ Z5 a 94E? Z f a Dec.Y 29 1925.

c. H. ToMPKlNs CONCRETE DISTRBUTING SYSTEM Filed July 29, 1925 Y 3 sheets-sheet s Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

CHARLES I'I. TOMPKINS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT COLUMBIA.

CONCRETE-DISTRIBUTING SYSTEM.

Application filed July 29, 1925. Seria1`No. 46,852.v

To all coo-m t may concern.:

flic it known that I, Ci-riinnns H. ToMr- Kiivs, a citizen of the United States, residing at lilashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Concrete-Distributing Systems, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to apparatus for distributing concrete and to a system especially designed to take care of construction projects involving considerable magiiitude and in which the materials must be conveyed to points of deposit remotely related to the mixing plant.

In the majority of systems in operation at the present time, the gravitation method of deliveiy is utilized and no great-problem of engineering is encountered, so long as the range of distribution remains 4within the usual short radius distance ofapproximately 100 feet. l l

Under such conditions, it is customary to employ an elevator tower `in which the `mixed materials are hoisted and dumped into a chute line composed generally of a plurality of sections, certain of which are supported from the tower by a boom, while the remaining ones are sustained by poles set on the ground. As the distance increases beyond the range mentioned, it obviously is impracticable to use the boom system vof support, because of the leverage and dangerous strains upon the tower, so that where the project extends to several vhundred feet or more. resort is had to secondary towers for rehaiidling the distant distribution or to the provision of a plurality of groundsujiiports for the chute line in the form of cribbing' etc. These necessarily form barriers to operations about the plant, but what is more important .of consideration the disadvantage of iinmobility, so to speak, .of such an arrangement and the very great :loss of time and labor when the point of delivery is changed troni the rZone served by such a chute line.

, I am aware further that in large operations, where the topography admitsof such use,l that cable-way systems yare employed, but such systems have Aso many limitations and disadvantages',l particularly where the terrain must be considered, that they are not well adapted to thepurpose.`

` The gravitation system whichis the subjest matter of my invention, however, has

been devised to overcome the diiiiculties heretofore experienced in the construction of such large projects as filtration plants, dams, extensive concrete buildings and the like, and in its use and application, I have found it very eifective in performing tlie work with great facilityiand saving of time and labor, particularly in operations involving a large radius of action.

For the purpose, I provide a preferably centrally arranged elevator tower to ywhich is'revolubly connected'at one end a catenary support'from which is adjustably suspended a chute line of the required length to chute the Ywetcon'crete to ithe xdesired point of vdeposit, tlie other end of the catenarjT support being-connected to anchorages by a specially arranged tackle control, through the instrumentality of which the chute line may be easily vand quickly-adjustedto effect delivery within vra predetermined sector.

lVith such an'arrangement, the chute line is capable lof being shifted completely around the central plant-to serve any all sectors of operation wit-hout interference from ground -supports or the necessity of dismantling or without limitations in referenceto any practical radius lof action.

Among other objects in view may be mentioned that of providing a Yrotatable tower head vto which the lchute line support is connected, whereby tortional strainson'the tower are entirelyeli'minated and fthe complete rotation of the chutey line about'the tower is made possible; and'further the provision of a remote power control for the distributing chute line, so that atany time, this heavy conveyor may with facility bev adjusted as desired by the taking up and simultaneous paying out of-tensioniiig means for the chute support without releasing the normal tension strain on tlieitower.

A still further advantage resides in the provision for adjustably suspending the chute line from the catenary support whereby the-,degree of inclination may be regulated to' obtainl the proper flow of the material as infiueiic'ed bythe state of riiuidity of the rlatter' and 'thel distance Aof the chuting operation. y

Other objects and advantages ofthe invention will be hereinafter set forth and the novel features` thereof defined bythe appended claims.

Inthe drawings Figure l is a side elevation of the preterred embodiment ot my system, the showing being' more or less diagrammatic in character Figure 2 is a top plan View thereof; Figure 3 is an enlarged detail elevation of the top oi' the tower, showing more particularlyY the connection of the catenary support to the rotatable head of the tower' and the connection at this point;

-e -l is a top plan view oi the con- 'i Ition shown in Figure 3 with the guy cables :'nnitted: and

Figure 5 a vertical sectional view throiurh the 'turn table device at the top oit the tower.

Lilie numerals re'l'er to like several l'ic'ures otl the drawing'.

lelicrring to the drawings, in carrying out the system comprehending my invention, l employ an elevator' tower 1 located as nearly as possible, centrally ot the areato be supplied and at the base ot which the mixing' plant is prelerably arranged. This tower in the main is of conventional construction and is customerilyv proi'f'ided with an elevator bucket (not shown) in which tlieconcrete material is hoisted to the desired `ele vation andr automatically dumped into a hopper From the hopper, the concrete 'flows by way ot' the chute line 2l to the c esired point ot deposit, the length ot the chute line naturally depending,l upon the magnitude ot the construction joh To thisv end, the chute is composed of a plurality ol" sections, these beine' added to as the radius ot distribution .is increased in the course of the work. rlhe chute line is adjustJ ably suspended from a catenary support or cable l by means of block and tackles 5, each supported by a trolley wheel 6 which rides upon the cable. rThese wheels are con nected together and are sustained in proper spaced relation by means of a pulley line 7, and as the chute is extended, the inserted chutes in necessitates the extension ot the pulley line and addition ot block and tactile suspensions.

it the end o'l the chute line, and preterably at points intern'iediate its length also, there are provided the usual down spouts S l v ieans ot which the concrete is fed to the d point o'r deposit. rlhese appliances erally known in the construction ini ar-d no claim is therefore made to parts in the features o t my system which do form vel characteristics will now be more particularly set forth. In the first place, the connection el' the catenary support et te the tower and to the zground is ot primary iinportance. As shown particularly in Figures :l to 5 ot the drawing, l mount upon the top ot the to er, a turn table device which. e l herein shown as an e feuipliti e idea, composed ot the ary or fixed base section 9 and the superposed rotatable section 10, mounted 'tor rotation upon the shaft 11. For lthe pu pose o' fixing the lower section 9 to the towel', U-bolts 12 or the like are employed to con nect it to the necessary @ribbing on the top of the tower, and as a further detail ot construction, U-bolts 13 are utilized to connect the upper section to the eye beams 14 which span the section and rest upon the rim to distribute the stress to the latter. A. stop collar 15 prevents displacement ot this upper section in the whiiiiping ot the cables. It should be understood that this torni otturn table device may be modified as required and do not wish under the conditions to be conlined to the specilic type herein illustrated.

The upper end ot the cable i is looped about the rotatable section 10 and is fixed thereto by clamp eyes or similar' fastening means 16, and it will be obvious that by virtue ot the rotatable mounting' ot the upper end ot the cable, its lower end may be revolved about the tower without placing a torsional strain upon the latter. This lower end terminates considerably short ol the radius ot action and is termed with an eye or loop 17 to which the upper ends o'tva plurality o't' tackle lines 18 are connected. rlfhe lower end ot each tackle device 18 is connected to an anchor 19, any suitable number of which are disposed about the circle ot operation ot' the apparatus.

It will be observed by reference to Figure 2 of the drawings that these tackle control devices assume an angular relation to each other, the tackle line 1S from one extending back to the tower and passing` over a sheave 20, then downwardly to and about a winch 21, diagrammatically shown in Figure 1. The tackle lines 18 and 18 trom'the other devices correspondingly extend bacl:l to the tower over sheaves and down vardly to respective drums. These drums are connected to and driven by a suitable prime n'iover (not shownl by means ot which the tackle lines may be wound upon the drums to exert the necessary tension upon the cable it and to maintain suoli tension,

The strain which is necessarily placed upon the tower in supporting' the chute line is taken care ot' by the guy cables 22 connected at their lower ends to anchor posts 23 and at their upper ends to a collar 24: mounted upon the upper end of the shaft 11 of the turn table device. Preferably ot' course, any number of these cables may he used and others designated 25. are connected to the tower at lower elevations so that, altuoug'h the tower is usually very high, it .is amply supported against the stresses encountered.

lt remains to be stated that the anchors 19 which are distributed in substantially a circle about the area in the operation, usually consist of a larg'e Eblock `of concrete each fhavl ingl tine/c. therein a pair of eyes 26, one preferably in advance of the other, but itis 0bvious to Vthose skilled in the art to which this apparatus appertains, that ythese janchors may be made a part ofany substantial structure so long astliey are located at .suitable distances from the tower, greater than that of the point of delivery off the chute'd concrete. but preferably they, are distributed at approximately vequal intervals Varound a circie, their exact location conforming as necessary to topography, obstructions. etc.

in the operation ofthe system, the mixed concrete is elevated in the tower and dumped into the hopper 2 from which it passesinto the chute line and is conveyed its full extent to the end down spout- 8 or is shunted from the chute into the other 'dow'nspouts as the case may require. When it is -desired to change the position of the chute line. the hoisting' engine operating the drums 21 Vis started and depending' upon which direction the chute is to be shifted, one or `the other of the lead lines 18 or 18 is wound upon the engine drum while theother of `the said Alines is paid out. This will slierten one :of the tackle control devices-18 and 'simultaneously lengt-hen the other tackle device, thereby -resulting in a displacement of the suspension cable l about the tower. The vthird tackle line 18 is in the nature ofan auxiliary line making' it vpossible to `continue chuting operation when changing Afrom one sector to another. 'Ihat is to say, thijs third line, if the shift referred to is -inade toward the ydotted line position of Figure 2. is taken lup as the line 18 is taken up and when the lcable and tackle line 18 reach aligned position, the function of the line 18 is practically discontinued and taken over by the line 18. The tackle Iline 18 may now be removed from its anchor or shifted to an yadvance anchor at any time Vfound to be convenient during' the distribution inl the particular sector in'which the lines 18 and 18 constitute the main support for the cable 4,

'lhe advantage in using the three tackle arrangement resides not only `in the saving of time during shifting to succeeding sectors, but also in the maintenance of adequatesupport for the cable 4, by at least two of such lines at all times. lhippingv of the cateiiary support is practically impossible with such an arrangement. But it will be obvious that the operation may be carried out with two .of the tackle devices if desired. This simply `results in a loss of time of chutingr during the shifting from one sector to another.

1n the shifting operation above referred to, it is understood ofcourse that the xrelation of speed of winding or unwinding of the lead lines is maintained in such away that the tension of the cable'll is sustained. Thus the loop 17 at the end of the cableis retained at the 'saine elevation. rIt `will thus be seen that by. this arrangement lof the tackle control, the angular position of the catenary support and of the chute line suspended from it may be varied at will by the remote controlvwithin the sector between the anchorages to which vthe control devices 18 are connected.V

1n the actual use of the apparatus hereinbefore described, it has been found that these shifts from one sector to another can be accomplished without loss of time, whereas in the usual shifting operations of the chute lines of al corresponding' operation, the time consun'ied runs into a day or so. Obviously a very large 4amount of expense and labor is saved by the method of 'distribution of this system asv-compared with the known methods hereinbefore referred to.

W hat I claim is z* l. In a concrete distributing' system, the coiii'binatioii of an elevator tower.. a rotatable head thereon, a catenary support connected at one end toisaid head, means connecting' the other end to fixed ground supports :and adjustable to shift the catenary support labout said tower, and concrete conveying means carried by said catenary support. Y '2. In a concrete d's'tributing system, the combination'of an elevator tower, a rotatable head thereon, a suspension cable fixedly connected at one end to said head,a series of anchorages arranged vat spaced intervals about said tower, tensioning means connecting the other end 'of said tower to certain of said anchorages to sustain said Acable at an elevation, and a chute line sustained by said cable and shiftable therewith about the tower to vary the point of delivery of said chute.

'ln a concrete distributing' apparatus of the class described, an elevator tower, means in said tower for hoisting material, a turn table device mounted on said tower, a suspension cable connected to the tui'ii table device at one end, tensioning' means connecting' the other end of the cable to fixed points, said tensioning` means beine operable to shift the cable rotatably with respect to the tower, while maintaining' the tension upon the cable, and a chute line suspended from said cable. y

4. In a concrete distributing apparatus of the class described, a cateiiary support connected at oneeiid to a relatively fixed point, concrete conveyor means suspended from said support, land control means connected to the other end of said support for normally sustaining the same at .a `relatively fixed elevationaiid operable to shift the support about the relatively fixed point afore-` mentioned. f

5. In Aa material distributing apparatus of the class described, a catenary support, means cari'ied by said support for conveying the material, means connecting one end of said support to spaced relatively fixed points normally sustaining the support at a relatively fixed elevation and adjustable to shift the support and conveying means in either direction about the opposite end of the support and within the zones` of said points, and power means for actuating the last mentioned means.

G. In a concrete distributing apparatus of the class described, a catenary support connected at one end to a relatively fixed point, concrete conveying means suspended from said support, and a tackle control connected to the other end of said support constituting the sole sustaining means therefor and operative independent of the support to shift the support about the relatively fixed points aforementioned, and powerI actuating means for said tackle control.

7. In a distributing system of the class described, a suspension cable connected at one end to a relatively fixed point, a chute line suspended from said cable to convey material tothe desired point of deposit and a tackle control connect-ing the other end of said cable to spaced relatively fixed points and constituting means for sustaining the support at a fixed elevation, said control being operable from a centralized point to shift the last mentioned cable end about the first mentioned fixed point in opposite directions at will.

8. ln a concrete distributing system of the class described, the combination of an elevator tower, a catenary support connected at one end to said tower, a concrete conveyor suspended by said support to carry the concrete to the desired points of deposit, and means angularly related to the catenary support for sustaining the same normally at a. relatively fixed elevation and including a central control at the tower operable to shift the support and conveyor' about the tower to vary the points of deposit.

S). In a concrete distributing system of the class described, the combination of an elevator tower, a eaten-ary support connected at one end tosaid tower, a concrete conveyor suspended by said support to carry the concrete to the desired points of deposit, tackle control means for sustaining and shiftably connecting the other end of the catenary support to spaced relatively fixed points, and means centrally arranged for actuating said tackle control means independently of the support to thereby shift the support and conveyor relative to the tower in opposite directions at will.

10. ln a concrete distributing system of the class described, the combination of an elevator' tower, a catenary support connected at one end to said tower, a concrete conveyor suspended by said support to carry the concrete to the desired points of deposit,

and control means connecting the other end of the catenary support to spaced relatively fixed points, including a pair of angularly related tackle lines extending back to the tower, said lines maintaining a constant tension on the catenary support and being operable to shift the end of the latter toward or from either of the said fixed points at will while maintaining the normal tension on the support.

ll. ln a concrete distributing system of the class described, the combination of an elevator tower, a catenary support connected at one end to said tower, a concrete conveyor suspended by said support to carry the concrete to the desired points of deposit, control means connecting the other end of the catenary support to spaced relatively fixed points, including a plurality or angularly related tackle lines, either of which is operable 'to shift the support about the tower according to which direction of movement is desired, and centralized control means for simultaneously taking up on one line and paying out the other to thereby shift the support and conveyor relative .to the tower.

12. In a concrete distributing system, the combination of an elevator tower, a cable line connected at one end to said tower, a chute line suspended from said cable line and extended to the desired point of deposit, and power operating means extending from the other end of the cable line to the tower for shifting the last mentioned end and the chute line about the tower in opposite directions at will to change the point of deposit of the concrete, said power operated means constituting the normal sustaining means for the cable holding it at a fixed elevation.

13.V ln a concrete distributing system, the combination of an elevator tower, a cable having rotatable connection with the tower at one end, aA chute line suspended from said cable, a plurality of anchorage means' remotely related to the tower and arranged at spaced intervals with respect to each other, and control means comprising tackle lines connecting the other end of the cable to a plurality of said anchors for maintaining tension on said cable, said control means beingoperable to shift the cable and chute line to change the point of deposit while maintaining tension on the cable.

14. In a concrete distributing system of the class described, the combination of a tower, means for hoisting material to an elevation in said tower, a hopper carried by said tower to receive said materials, a chute line to receive the material from said hopper, a cable having rotatable connection at one end to the tower and freely rotatable about the axis of said tower, a control means connecting the other end of the cable to fixed points to maintain the cable under tension, adjustable means suspending the chute line iso from said cable and adapted to be adjusted to change the inclination of the chute line at will, and centrally located power means for actuating the control means aforesaid whereby to shift the cable means and chute line about the tower.

15. In a concrete distributingsystem, the combination of an elevator tower, a cable line connected to said tower at one end, means connected to the other end for shifting the cable to and fro within a sector about the tower, separate means connected to said cable normally sustaining' the cable at a fixed elevation for shifting the same from said sector to an adjacent sector and to and fro in the saine, and a chute line suspended from said cable.

16. In a concrete distributing system, the

combination of an elevator tower, a cable line connected to said tower at one end, a

pair of tackle lines connecting the far end of said cable line to a pair of spaced fixed points said tackle lines being adjustable to shift the cable line about the tower Within the Zone of the fixed points aforesaid, a. separate tackle line connected to the end of the cable line and to a separate fixed point and normally sustaining the cable line with the other tackle lines at a fixed elevation, said separate tackle line being operable to shift the cable line into the zone between the first mentioned pair of fixed points and the third mentioned fixed point, and a chute line suspended from said cable line.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES H. TOMPKINS. 

